November2017 Morton/Method Newsletter (Eudoris® Deployment)

Define Human Values – are the virtues that guide us to take into account human element when one interacts with other human beings. They are our feelings for the human essence of others

Tracking your canine is difficult. Most handlers tend to rely too much on their canine which adds another level of difficult to the process. Take the human value out and read the fur missile. Set your canine up for success.

I had an opportunity not long ago to help locate a deer that was downed 2 days prior and could not be located. All there was to go on was blood for approximately 400 yards. But, I only train game tracking canines per client order and do not have any on-deck at any given time. So, it was a long shot at best, but I’m always up for a challenge.

To succeed with a 2 day set time would require a confident and experienced canine that could be worked off-leash and understands what is expected, no matter the task. So, I chose to work Canine Eudoris®Actual.

Canines trained or not, will display a “change of behavior”. But you have to see it, understand it, and work off of it to succeed. As we started on the last 100 yard leg of blood, which was previously marked, I had Eudoris® Actual sniff a significant amount of blood and praised him. And every time he went to blood and committed to it, I praised him.

“That pattern Eudoris®Actual set was the sight picture I needed”

When that pattern ended, Eudoris®Actual began working off me instead of working independently and seemed confused. He kept looking back at me and checking his left and right flank because of the number of people spread out all over. I pushed 50 yards past left and right of the initial pattern and was not reading any change of behavior and stopped the flow in a valley. I needed to move and get new ground. I then took a bite over hill into the wind, not knowing, headed towards where deer was shot.

“The roll of the handler is to set the canine up for success, give the canine opportunity”

Once we crested a hill Eudoris®Actual took it to the ground and didn’t look back, “sight picture”. He then hit a fence and turned left and continued working. He looked to me and noticed the left flank and went towards them….visual….it is important to note that Eudoris®Actual didn’t truly understand what was expected of him, fundamentally he tracks people and HIS sight picture is not mine. Eudoris=People, Mine=Deer. However, it was at this point, the hunter became part of the process and started his style of tracking. As he approached the fence that Eudoris®Actual initially hit, he identified blood. That, justified my existence.

Then, I made a mistake that cost us 45 minutes. When we went over the fence (area blood located), “I” chose the direction instead of reading my canine. I should have allowed my canine to decide the direction. I put the human, “what would I do” mindset in motion and look where it got us, “a walk in the park/chasing dreams”. Once I realized my error in judgement, I started back and worked forward from the fence/blood.

When we pushed again from the original start point of fence, with Eudoris®Actual nose was to the ground, “sight picture” and he appeared to be committed in a certain direction until I heard, “I have blood.”

Once the blood was verified Eudoris®Actual stepped off again, when we came to a fence. Proximity behavior began to happen, with a slight stiffness and ears up, he proceeded slowly around a bend…….the deer was found! Eudoris®Actual sniffed a buck and moved on, and the rest is history!

Total search time: 2 hours and 45 minutes.

Bottom line –

A canine with hunt drive is what a handler relies on when unsure in any given situation. No matter the task, READ your canine, TRUST your canine, and COMMIT to your canine whether the search is human, article or narcotics/explosive and your team will succeed.

Tip of the Month (Morton Method): I’m starting to see more companies training muzzle in videos, which is great to finally see. But, it’s visually stimulated. Canine hits in a muzzle look cool, I get it. It’s important that you keep the habit of your k9 using his nose even in a muzzle. The muzzle is the best tool to simulate real world situations. Don’t mess it up with pairing visual stimulus with muzzle because you are causing a bad habit.

CANINE TACTICAL NEWS UPDATE

GEAR UPDATE: THE FIRST ADJUSTABLE/CUSTOM HIP LEAD HAS BEEN DESIGNED AND FIELD TESTED MORTON/METHOD. AVAILABLE ONLY THRU CANINE TACTICAL. THE ORIGINAL CUSTOM HIP LEAD WAS A SINGLE LENGTH ONLY, WHICH IS GREAT FOR VETERAN CANINES. THE NEW DESIGN WAS MADE WITH NOVICE CANINES IN MIND, WHO WILL TRANSITION FROM CHOKE COLLAR TO HARD COLLAR. THERE IS A 2 ” LENGTH DIFFERENCE, SO WITH THE FIXED-LENGTH DESIGN, A NEW CUSTOM HIP LEAD WOULD BE NEEDED. NOT SO WITH THE ADJUSTABLE HIP LEAD. IT ALLOWS 2″ PLUS OR MINUS FROM YOUR CORE MEASUREMENT. WEBSITE WILL BE UPDATED SOON, UNTIL THEN CONTACT JOSHUA MORTON AT joshuamorton@caninetactical.com

GI BILL PROGRAM (FALL2017): GRADUATE MR. MARCUS WITH K9 DUKE. ALSO SHOWN IN PICTURE IS “ASSISTANT TO THE TRAINER”

Categories

Archives

Archives

About The Author

Joshua Morton is a veteran of United States Navy serving more than eight years as a Navy SEAL.
Joshua became the first military working dog handler for SEAL Team Four.
He served as a SEAL operator and canine handler during five deployments in Iraq and has extensive first-hand experience on numerous missions in the successful utilization of a canine in combat.

Joshua has vast experience and expertise in:

Guiding and assisting new Combat Action Dog personnel in all aspects of canine tactics, techniques and procedures

Planning and coordinating logistical support for the screening and development of new canines
Achievements:

Instructed the first Naval Special Warfare Group Two Combat Action Dog course

Demonstrated canine advanced tactics, techniques and procedures to multiple Naval Special Warfare teams, resulting in highly trained and disciplined operators pushing Naval Special Warfare to the forefront of canine usage in Special Operations

Joshua is head trainer for the Belchertown Police Department in Massachusetts. The Windsor Heights Police Department, Polk County Sheriff's Office Patrol Canine Units in Des Moines, Iowa and contracts with the Polk County Jail in Des Moines for Jail services.